Worlds Apart
by Ta1u1a
Summary: The crew of Serenity faces even more trouble as Inara's past catches up with her. Slightly AU. Kaylee/Inara. Based off a fanvid movie trailer I created several years ago. If you want to see the vid, message me.


Author's Note: This is somewhat of an AU. It pretty much rewrites what little we know of Inara's back story. Also, Kaylee/Inara pairing. This story is based off a fan video I created several years ago. You can see that video here - Worlds Apart Please don't judge the video too harshly. lol

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><p>Marcus Frye placed the message disc in the console and flipped on the monitor. Moments later an image flashed onto the screen. He smiled when he saw his daughter's ever-cheerful face. Soon her voice graced his ears.<p>

"Hi, daddy! Hope all's well back home. Things are great here on Serenity," she said happily. "It really is wonderful gettin' out and seein' the 'verse. I love this ship. Most people don't think it looks like much, but treat her right an' she'll fly true. Cap'n's a real nice man. He says he ain't, but he's a big liar 'bout that.

"I sent some of my share from the last job we had. It's not much, but I know every little bit helps back home. Cap'n says our next job should pay better."

Marcus picked up the bundle of cash Kaylee had sent. He was amazed the postmaster hadn't snooped in the mail and snatched it up. He was thankful for it and thankful that his daughter was doing well for herself. He had been nervous about letting her take off on some ship for no telling how long.

"A little somethin' interesting. Cap'n just rented out a shuttle to a true to life registered companion!" The excitement in Kaylee's voice made him chuckle. She was enthusiastic about everything. "Don't know why she's on Serenity, not that Serenity's a bad ship. It just ain't the kind of ship you'd normally find a companion on is all. She's real pretty and sophisticated. It must be so glamorous, her life.

"Well anyway, sorry I couldn't do a face to face wave to y'all this time. Cap'n gets mighty twitchy and in a hurry when a new job comes up. Have to record this fast and drop it in the post before he leaves planet-side without me."

As soon as those words passed her lips, Marcus saw her rethink them.

"Not that he would leave me anywhere. Cap'n ain't like that. And who else would he get to keep his boat in the air, right?"

"Nobody. My little girl's got the gift," he said with a loving smile.

"Hopefully next time you see me, I'll get to see you, too. We might be headin' closer to home for a bit. If this next job goes right we'll have enough coin to take a little time off. Who knows? Maybe I can introduce you to Inara. That's the companion's name. Doesn't it sound so exotic? Well, I hope the money does you some good. Tell momma I said hi and that I'm doin' just fine out here. Love ya, daddy. Bye."

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><p><em>She stood on the balcony watching the sun spread out over the woodlands on Persephone. It was such a beautiful planet that it was difficult for her to imagine living anywhere else, even though she had lived somewhere else only three years before. The lands surrounding the companion training house were nice, but not comparable to Persephone.<em>

_Many young companions would have felt blessed to have come into the situation she was in. A companion's life was not unlike that of the geisha of Japan so long ago on Earth That Was. She had read of these geisha, as she had read of similar women in many cultures. In the end, a companion would do well to acquire a permanent patron. Youth lasts only so long, but a patron would provide a companion with all she would ever need in exchange for her special skills._

_She had enjoyed spending time with Atherton once she had chosen him as a client. She had been overwhelmed by the intense devotion he exhibited toward her. Having met him only a year out of the training house, she had been taken aback by his adoration and foolishly accepted his offer to be her patron, not thinking through what her life would be like._

_She was not like most companions. At the training house, many of the more experienced companions had complimented her, stating that she was a natural and had an appeal much like that of Helen of Troy or Cleopatra. Men would fall to her whim at a single glance. This empowered her and made her realize all the more what a mistake it was to take Atherton as her patron. She was wasting her gift with him, a man she came more and more to loathe. His charm had not lasted long after their agreement was made, and she grew weary of his company._

_Yet once a patron was taken, it was not so easy to leave. For a patron agreement lasts until death of either companion or patron, or until the patron can no longer afford the luxury of his own private companion. Atherton was young, athletic, and unlikely to die anytime soon. As for his wealth, his family had a long-standing estate on Persephone. His ancestors were some of the first colonists on Persephone after humanity abandoned Earth That Was. Leaving Atherton would require great stealth or an act of treachery. She did not feel she could accomplish the task either way. Yet somehow, she needed to leave._

"_A perfect backdrop for your beauty," Atherton said, pulling her out of her thoughts._

_He approached her on the balcony, tying his robe closed as he came. The blue silk gleamed in the sunlight. He stopped next to her and hooked his left arm around her waist while giving her a quick kiss, which she half-heartedly returned. He didn't seem to notice, and the two stood next to each other in silence as the sun continued to rise._

"_You've been rather quiet lately," Atherton said finally. "What is on your mind?"_

"_Nothing, really," she lied with a shrug and slight smile. "Although I am past due for my annual check-up."_

"_I simply don't understand why you insist on going back to the core when we have perfectly knowledgeable physicians here on Persephone," he said as he backed away and moved toward his wardrobe._

"_There are regulations for companions," she explained. She remained on the balcony but faced into the room. The bright sky created a shadow that hid the annoyance spread across her face. "Even those with patrons must follow the rules."_

"_I suppose you would like me to arrange your transport," Atherton said. He sounded annoyed but also as if he was forcing himself to be understanding. She was his after all. They had an agreement. Like many aspects of his life, he didn't like when she was out of his control._

"_You could come with me," she suggested, knowing he wouldn't agree. "You so rarely leave this world."_

"_Why would I?" he asked as he pulled on a pair of navy blue trousers. "I have everything I need here. My life became perfect the moment you agreed to have me as your patron."_

"_I see," she said, cringing at the reminder of her situation. "I won't be gone long."_

_He turned as he pulled a white button-down shirt over his shoulders. He walked towards her without buttoning it. "Even a moment is long enough."_

"_Atherton," she said with her patented dismissive chuckle as she stepped away from him. "You can be quite the dramatist sometimes."_

"_I like it that way," he said. He turned to continue dressing. "It keeps life interesting."_

You don't know the meaning of interesting_,__ she thought, imagining how dull this life would seem to other companions. She watched him put on his suit for the day and she knew, having seen him wear that suit so many times before, that it was time for her to go. She would find a way out, and she knew her only hope was during her trip to the core planets. All she needed was a plan._

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><p>A knock came at the shuttle door, but Inara didn't turn. Her frustration at the shuttle's console and its refusal to do what she wanted was getting the better of her.<p>

"Come in," she said, a twinge of anger in her tone.

Kaylee stepped into the shuttle with her tool box and gave a small wave. She seemed a bit nervous, and it took only a moment for Inara to realize why that was so.

"Uh, hi, I don't mean to be a bother, but Wash said you're havin' some troubles with the shuttle," Kaylee said shyly. "He woulda come to help himself, but he's kinda busy landin' the ship right now."

She gestured to the shuttle's windows which exposed them to the flaming view afforded to one while breaking through atmosphere. Inara easily brought a smile to her face, dissipating her own anger and standing to greet Kaylee properly. The two had only met briefly when Captain Reynolds introduced Inara to the crew as a group. Something about the young woman was immediately endearing to her. The companion's ability to judge character at first glance told her that she would like the mechanic quite a bit.

"Of course, no bother at all. Thank you for coming, Kaylee," she said. She gestured to the main console. "I can't seem to get it to accept my heading. I programmed the coordinates for my client's home, but it won't confirm."

"Okay, well, I'll give it a look-see," Kaylee said, a smile brightening her face. She nodded to Inara, who stepped aside to allow Kaylee to do her work. "Do you know how to…I mean, a companion doesn't…well, you don't hear about folks in your work flyin' shuttles much."

Kaylee took a seat in the pilot chair and started looking at the controls. Inara watched over her shoulder to see if maybe she had simply made an error in entering the destination.

"Well, most companions certainly have someone else as a pilot when going off-world, if that's what you're getting at," she said with a gentle smile. "I've picked up a few things here and there, and Wash briefly went over these controls. I'm no expert. I probably just entered the sequence wrong."

"It could be that simple, but you seem like a smart lady," Kaylee said, beginning to get in her element. "Truth is this shuttle ain't left this docking port in a real long time. Firefly class ships are pretty old and most people can't keep 'em runnin' worth a lick, includin' their shuttles."

"I'm to understand you're not quite like most people when it comes to these things," Inara said, having heard briefly from Wash and the captain about Kaylee's special talents. Her smile broadened when she noticed a humbled expression cross Kaylee's face along with a slight redness in her cheeks.

"Well, I guess. Cap'n likes to talk me up some 'cause I got Serenity off the ground in the first place," she replied, thinking back on how she first came to meet Captain Reynolds. It wasn't her best moment ever, but it did get her a place on Serenity. "But any old mechanic worth anything coulda done the same."

"From what I hear, it wasn't that simple. You have a gift," Inara said. She placed her hand reassuringly on Kaylee's shoulder. "It's a very special thing for someone so young to have such talent. You're certainly worth more than just any old mechanic."

Kaylee's cheeks flushed even more and she chuckled slightly before turning back to the console. She tried programming the coordinates herself while still talking to Inara.

"Machines got workin's and they talk to me. That's all," she said with a shrug. She hit one last button and watched as the coordinates refused to take for her as well. "Yep. Not your fault it's not workin' right."

She slipped out of the chair and lay down on her back under the console. She reached out blindly and picked up the tool she needed to take off a panel.

"You prettied up this shuttle real nice," she said as she worked. "My bunk don't look this pretty."

"Yes, if I'm to have clients here, it must be a pleasing environment. It helps set the mood," Inara explained.

"I bet it does," Kaylee said before letting out a slight snort of amusement. Then she looked up at Inara from her position on the floor, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. That was rude, wasn't it? It's not nice to make jokes about what you do."

"It's all right. I received a worse reaction from the captain," Inara said. She expected such reactions from people who didn't regularly come into contact with companions. It was more frequent in the outer reaches of space. "I don't take offense to it anymore, Kaylee."

"Okay, I'd hate to be rude," she said. She went back to her work but kept talking. Inara realized Kaylee was quite fond of talking once you got her going. "Though you'll probably hear that kinda stuff a lot from Jayne. I don't think he knows what the word 'polite' means."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Kaylee replaced a few wires, tightened a few things, and then replaced the panel. She pulled herself up into the seat again, programmed the coordinates and smiled when she received confirmation.

"There. All fixed. Wiring was a bit mussed up, but you shouldn't have any more problems with her," Kaylee said.

"Thank you, Kaylee," Inara said. She watched Kaylee gather her tools and then followed her to the door. "That really is a rare gift you have. Don't sell yourself short."

"I just do what comes natural," Kaylee responded. She was noticeably more relaxed than when she first entered the shuttle. "You need anything else, you just holler."

"You'll be the first one I'll call," Inara said, offering an encouraging smile and a light touch to the mechanic's arm.

She watched Kaylee continue back into Serenity. As Wash completed their landing, Inara turned back to the main console, smiling as she thought about Kaylee and her special gift.

* * *

><p><em>Looking back on what happened, she knew she had been to impatient. Getting away from Atherton wasn't as easy as walking out the door and never coming back. Yet that's almost exactly what she tried to do. She left for her annual check-up and simply planned not to come back. She had arranged transport to Deadwood where her friend, Nandi, a former companion, ran a brothel. It wouldn't be a permanent arrangement, but it was a good haven until she figured out where to go from there. She didn't get nearly that far.<em>

_She arrived to her transport only to find three surly looking men there. She recognized two of them as Atherton's "associates" and she assumed the third was one as well._

_"Mr. Wing asked us to escort you home," the one she didn't recognize said. He had a sneer on his face she had seen all too often. It was the sneer of a man who saw her as nothing but a thing to be used, as only the physicality of her profession. It was a sneer Atherton would wear if he didn't bear the societal obligation of being polite. "Seems you're not quite sure which ship is taking you there."_

_"This isn't Thor's Hammer?" she asked, feigning ignorance._

_"Not even close," he replied. He stepped forward and grabbed her left bicep firmly, a little too firmly. She tried to pull away, but he wouldn't yield._

_"I don't think Atherton would approve of you manhandling me," she said, trying to remain calm and firm with an air that she was better than these men. Her aggressor just maintained his sneer._

_"He gave us some freedom in that respect," one of the other men said. He stepped forward and she saw his sneer was more menacing. She knew she could believe every word he said. "I think he said something about staying away from your face."_

_Her calm faltered and they were able to see the fear in her eyes. There was no fighting these men. There was no fighting Atherton._

_The trip back to Persephone involved a great deal of silence. She cooperated, which resulted in the three men not injuring her. Atherton was another story. They left her waiting in the parlour. She looked out the window at the planet she would otherwise love if not for her situation. She spun around when she heard the door open and quickly slam shut. Atherton was radiating rage in a frighteningly calm way. To the casual observer he was certainly angry, but she could see the fury boiling just beneath the surface._

_She waited for him to say something, but for moments he simply stood and looked at her contemplating something-how to react, how she could betray him. He paced in front of her and she waited. She didn't have to wait much longer as he quickly reached forward and grabbed her neck, pulling her toward him. His grip was strong but not enough to impede her breathing. She instinctively grabbed his wrist and looked at him fearfully._

_"How dare you!" he growled at her. His grip tightened slightly and she had to breathe shallow. "I offer to be your patron. I bring you here and meet your every need. We have a contract!"_

_She pushed back her fear as best she could and met his gaze. "Which becomes null and void the moment one of us dies."_

_She wasn't sure if that would help her or hurt her. It was the truth, and he knew it. Whether he cared was a different matter. Finally, he grunted, released his grip, and turned on his heel, heading for the bottle of scotch on the bar._

_"Did you mean that as a threat?" he asked as he poured himself a drink. "You have nothing over me. I own you."_

_"Nobody owns me," she said sharply. "What we have is a business agreement. There may be few ways to dissolve this contract, but they exist."_

_"And sneaking out is not one of them. You are in breach of contract."_

_After emptying his glass he stepped forward and slapped her across the face. She stumbled to her left and held her hand to the right side of her face._

_"You go nowhere without my say," he shouted. He grabbed her throat again with both hands and this time she couldn't breathe. The fury in his eyes terrified her. He wasn't suppressing it at all now. She clawed at his wrists and hands. "I will be aware of your every move. You are mine!"_

_Her lungs were burning and she truly thought for a moment that he might kill her. As her vision started to blur and go white, he finally released her, leaving her gasping in a heap on the floor._


End file.
